LONDON (Diya TV) — The London Heathrow Airport, which is the busiest aviation hub in Europe, was fully closed after a major power failure resulted from a fire at an electrical substation close by. The shutdown caused monumental disruptions in air travel across the world.
The fire started late on Thursday evening when a transformer at an electrical substation in Hayes, a suburb of London to the west, erupted into flames. The London Fire Brigade moved quickly, sending ten fire engines and about 70 firefighters to fight the fire. About 150 residents were evacuated from the area as a precaution. The origin of the fire is still under investigation.
The fire led to a major power blackout, which impacted over 16,000 premises and business houses in the region, including Heathrow Airport. In reaction, airport authorities issued a day-long closure to maintain the safety of passengers and employees. They instructed travelers not to make their way to the airport and to check with their relevant airlines for more information.
The shutdown resulted in the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights, affecting around 220,000 passengers. Flights in transit to Heathrow were redirected to other airports, such as London Gatwick and Paris Charles de Gaulle. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, among other airlines, did their best to reschedule affected passengers, with some flights being diverted to other London airports.
By Friday night, Heathrow started resuming restricted flight activities, with the priority being to reposition aircraft and repatriate passengers. But authorities warned that full operational capacity would not be achieved until Saturday. Passengers were asked to check their flight status and refrain from traveling to the airport in the absence of confirmation from their airlines.
